From electric propulsion to automated control hardware, technology appears to be a big topic at this year's Palm Beach International Boat Show. Perhaps it should be no surprise, then, that a Silicon Valley startup is making its debut in Florida. Founded by a pair of MIT engineers with experience in ocean robotics, aerospace, hydrodynamics and autonomous systems, Navier is looking to make nautical design more high-tech with its self-piloting electric hydrofoil.
Still just in the rendering stages, the Navier 27 will be a hydrofoil tender powered by dual 67-hp (50-kW) electric motors. Available in both hard-roof and cabin varieties, the 27-footer (8.3-m) will travel for around 75 nautical miles (139-km) while gliding over waves up to 4 ft (1.2 m) high on retractable foils developed with input from America's Cup experts. The tender will cruise at a speed of 20 knots (37 km/h) and is capable of topping out over 30 knots (56 km/h). The foils retract for shallow-water navigation.
![A look at the Navier 27 Hardtop design](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/40a6022/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5000x3500+0+0/resize/1371x960!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc0%2F3c%2F013ce42f47888bd08c13e90ac712%2F5.jpg)
Navier's rhetoric about "reinventing the boat as we know it" into the "boat of the future" with a "90 percent efficiency increase" feels more than a little overstated for a 75-mile e-boat, especially because just this past month we've looked at two non-foiling electric boats with estimated ranges of 100 nautical miles. What is impressive about Navier's effort, though, is the promise of an advanced autopilot system analogous to contemporary self-driving cars. Navier explains its onboard autopilot will be capable of both speed and course control, making it something like a seaborne version of automotive adaptive cruise control with lane keeping.
The Navier 27 will also employ an active foil control system, aerospace-derived stabilization, hazard alert, sensor-assisted joystick docking and remote monitoring. Much like X Shore, Navier promises its self-piloting tech suite will evolve through software updates, with plans to advance the vessel all the way to full autonomy.
![The Navier 27 floats on the water surface at speeds up to 18 knots, rising on its hydrofoils to cruise at 20 knots](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/c3f5888/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x4000+0+0/resize/720x960!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F83%2Fd6%2F4052be0a4763b43630e40fe35b6d%2Fteaser.jpg)
Navier clearly is not ready to raise its foils on the high seas just yet, but those interested in more information and a potential build slot can register on its website, linked below. The Palm Beach show kicked off today and runs through Sunday, March 28.
Source: Navier